1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door locks. It particularly relates to a portable, auxiliary door lock useful for locking doors to hotel rooms, or the like, and having a quick release feature in the form of a pivoting arm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a recognized need for portable auxiliary door locks that may be used to protect against unlawful entry, particularly by those residing in hotel and motel rooms and by those looking for an alternative to the conventional "chain lock". Further, there is a need that any such lock have a quick release or quick unlock feature so that the lock may be disengaged from the door without complex or time-consuming manipulations in the event of a need to quickly exit the room, such as in the case of a fire.
A large number of auxiliary door lock devices have been proposed over the years, many of which include a thin locking plate terminating in an offset end that fits into the striking plate opening of the door jamb and a second member that is slidable with respect to the locking plate and includes a face for abuttment against the inside surface of the door, the two members being capable of securement in a fixed position with respect to each other for effecting locking of the door.
One such device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,151 wherein the locking plate and second member are secured in place by a padlock. The devices of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,672,166 and 4,200,317 tighten the two lock members into locking position by means of a threaded connection. A common disadvantage of each of these three devices is that they may not be quickly released or unlocked since they require either the unlocking of a padlock or the retraction of a threaded member.
Numerous other devices have been proposed, but to date there is no commercially available, portable, auxiliary door lock that is simple, rugged and reliable and has the desirable quick release feature.